If you're amongst the many that frequently succumb to the ploy of magazine freebies, then, most likely, you're familiar with the disappointment that often accompanies them: the quality is rarely remarkable, and even if that's the case, the quantity or shade you've ended up with, will probably leave you wanting more.

Which is why I was extremely impressed when I saw these two eyeshadows waiting for me on my desk a few days ago:

Meet Erre Due Deep-Matte eyeshadows, in shades 55 and 63. My mother had gotten these with some magazine (I believe it's November's Elle, but I could be mistaken), and since she rarely uses any eyeshadows, she passed them along. Naturally, any product that comes with a magazine insert brings out the skeptic in me, but, boy, was I surprised:

Look at that pigmentation! I'll admit, it took 2 swipes to get that, but still!!!No 55 is a warm brown matte shade and no 63 a deep charcoal. The texture impressed me as well: ever so slightly chalky, but still, extremely fine and easy to work with, without any fallout! What's best is that both of these shades complement each other really well, particularly if you want to recreate that "Kim Kardashian" ultra dark smokey/cat eye look.

I gave them a quick run for their money, before completely removing my makeup for the day, despite not being extremely comfortable with using matte shades still, and this is a messy and rough idea of what I ended up with:

Up close, it was so much more intense!

All in all a great product, made even better by the fact that I didn't have to spend a dime for it (even for the mag, woot woot)! I knew that Erre Due makes some great products (i.e. the Wet&Dry eyeshadows), but now they really got my attention!

When was the last time you were wowed by a magazine freebie? Do you get makeup from family and friends too?

So, what does one do at the very beginning of a super busy week? Steal a few moments for a manicure, whilst flipping through a virtual magazine, of course! Hey, you can't start a new week with chipped nail polish, right? :)

So, this week, I went for classic nude manicure, of the "I could fool you that I'm the result of a professional" category. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that I was looking for a nail polish that achieved this effect for years now - I mean, who doesn't love that streak- & hassle-free, well polished nude look? Fortunately, my quest is over, all thanks to L'Oreal Color Riche nail polish in 201 Rose Paradis:

Rose Paradis is a milky light pink shade, without any uneccessary shimmer, and therefore, a true classic in my eyes. It goes on super smoothly and ever since I got it there are no more %!*&@%$ moments while doing my nails! You could easily get away with just one coat (unimaginable for a nude as far as I've come across, I remember Essie Fiji needed about 4 just to look even), though I always add a second one, for that extra polished effect. Another huge plus is that this range is really longlasting: it will easily last me until next Monday - housework included, that is! The only downside is that it's a pretty expensive nail polish: 5ml, for a little less than 5 euros, can run out pretty quickly.

Naturally, a proper manicure is pointless without the ultimate final step: hand cream! Dry cuticles are a major no-no, no matter how lovely your nail polish is. So, lately, I've been relying exclusively on this little fella:

Pre de Provence Verbena Dry Skin Hand Cream.

Now, I'll admit, I've yet to try L' Occitane hand creams, so despite the similar packaging I couldn't be able to compare the two. All I know is that this is a very rich hand cream (the 20% shea butter probably plays its part), making it more of a body butter for your hands than anything else! Despite it being thick, it's not at all greasy, and after a few minutes it sinks in almost completely! The Verbena scent is divine too, super refreshing citrusy goodness every single time!
As you can see, I'm almost out of it and I can't wait to order a backup (perhaps along with a few other Pre de Provence products)!

Disclaimer: the Pre de Provence hand cream is part of my sponsorship by SkinCareRx. The product however was chosen by me and my thoughts and opinions on it reflect my own personal experience.

Have you tried any Pre de Provence items? What is your go-to nude nail polish?What are you wearing on your nails right now?

Not a beauty related post this time, not in the strict sense of the word that we're used to anyways - so some may want to hit "x" for this one.

I woke up Friday morning after an unsatisfactory sleep to run some errands. The town was cold and foggy and slightly miserable and made me long for my bed even worse. Imagine my surprise, when this view greeted me, 15 klm away and a couple hundred meters higher:

I'd never come across a view of Ioannina that didn't include the town and the lake before, but that's exactly what this dense fog did. The air was dry, the sun was shining and my mood instantly brightened. Had I remained in town, I would have complained about the traffic and my frizzy hair and would have never even imagined just how different "reality" would be a few minutes away.